“In Turkey, the total number of children living in the ten provinces hit by the earthquake is 4,6 million. In Syria, there are 2,5 million children affected”, said James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), at a press conference in Geneva.
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“Unicef fears that thousands of children have died,” said Elder, before warning that “even without verified numbers, it is clear that the numbers will continue to rise.”
According to Unicef, tens of thousands of families who have been living outdoors since the earthquake are exposed to the cold.
"Every day we are informed about an increasing number of children suffering from hypothermia and respiratory infections.”, said Elder, before recalling that families sleep with their children on the streets, in shopping malls, schools, mosques, bus stations and under bridges.
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In Türkiye, the Unicef, in coordination with the Ministry of Family, sent social workers to hospitals to help identify children separated from their families.
In parallel to these efforts, Unicef works to provide psychosocial support to affected children.
In neighboring Syria, Elder said, “every child under the age of 12 has only experienced conflict, violence or displacement. Some children have been displaced six or seven times,” he said.
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(With AFP)
